Gone

DAVE BASS QUARTET: Gone
self-released, 2010

MAINSTREAM JAZZ – Talk about day jobs: Sacramento pianist Dave Bass is also a California Deputy Attorney General! But he was playing jazz long before he moved into law, and he sounds pretty darn good on this set of well-crafted original tunes, several of which show a little hint of tango influence (so it’s no surprise he covers Piazzolla on #5). Nice.

Dave Bass : piano
Ernie Watts : tenor sax
Gary Brown : bass
Babatunde Lea : drums
Mary Stallings : vocals on 2 & 6


Fo’s Picks: 1, 4, 5, 6, 8, 11

1. 5:20 – forceful groove with a bit of a scowl: burning sax solo, angular piano
2. 5:46 – slow, lowdown ballad: soulful vocal (Mary Stallings), bright piano
3. 5:25 – latin breeze: sax flies and swoops over steady groove, long fade out
4. 7:56 – romance and mystery: contemporary noir with a whiff of tango
5. 6:59 – nuevo tango: piano/sax duet, bold, emotive and beautifully done
6. 5:47 – after-hours ballad, nice smoky sound & Mary Stallings vocal
7. 6:03 – bright, uptempo tune; rhythm section swings under carefree solos
8. 6:25 – piano/sax duet with a gospel flavor, relaxed pace, plenty of soul
9. 5:28 – contemporary ballad, easy pace and smooth sax wail
10. 6:38 – contemporary latin, rather subdued rhythm, lively sax, flowing piano
11. 7:22 – striding tune with some tango attitude: sax glides, rhythm punches

[ Fo ] 11/13/10